Monday, May 31, 2010
Rock / Roots You Make the Choice: Elizabeth Cook, Jason Isbell both play Indy Friday
Posted by Rob Nichols on Mon, May 31, 2010 at 10:42 PM
Elizabeth Cook - Spencers Stadium Tavern
June 4 - One day after playing the Grand Ol Opry, the sultry country mama Cook heads to the nicely classic near-southside venue. If you've heard her morning show on Sirius/XM's Outlaw Country channel, you already know she's whip smart and full of poke-ya-with-a-stick attitude. And her voice? Fucking gorgeous. Think Loretta Lynn and Joan Jett at a hayride, doing shots. She drags along the gritty Tim Carroll (her husband) and his subtle guitar heroics, and bass player Bones Hillman (he played in the great Aussie rock band Midnight Oil) for this leg of the tour. $10 to get in.
Important footnote: Carroll was born in Terre Haute, and attended IU. He was with the punk rock band The Gizmos about 30 years ago.
watch her videos / website
June 4 - Isbell is a former member of the Drive-By Truckers and is touring behind is his second solo release (and first release with his band).
“I want it to be known that it’s a band record,” says Isbell. “I want it to be known that it’s something we all did together. Even though I wrote the songs, it was a very inclusive project.” And it rarely hurts to record an album at the FAME Studios at Muscle Shoals, AL, as they did.
Tickets are $15, day of show
online review: "The sultry organ and soulful vocals set Isbell and band apart from the current gang of reverb-obsessed Americana folkers. Isbell and company have released one hell of a record." —The Tripwire
read full review
jasonisbell.com
There ya are. Two shows. Choose one. Can't lose.
Radio Radio
Spencer's Stadium Tavern
Spencers Stadium Tavern Facebook
JASON ISBELL AND 400 UNIT
ELIZABETH COOK
Rock / Roots This Week in Rock History (May 30-June 5)
Posted by Rob Nichols on Mon, May 31, 2010 at 1:08 AM
May 30
In 1968, The Beatles began recording what became known as the White Album, a two LP set whose official title was simply "The Beatles". The first track they lay down is "Revolution".
May 31
The Eagles release "One Of These Nights" in 1975, which will become the second of their five US number one singles.
June 1
FM stereo was heard for the first time by listeners in 1961 in Schenectady, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The FCC would adopt the standard a year later.
The first recording sessions ever held at Abbey Road studios took place in 1972 , as tracks were laid down for what would become Pink Floyd's album, "Dark Side Of The Moon".
In 1991, Temptations lead singer, 50 year-old David Ruffin, died of an overdose of crack cocaine. Ruffin sang lead vocal on some of the Temps biggest hits, "My Girl" and "Ain't Too Proud Too Beg". As a solo artist, he had hits with "My Whole World Ended The Moment You Left Me" and "Walk Away From Love", as well as "The Way You Do the Things You Do / My Girl medley" with Hall and Oates.
June 2
Rock legend Bo Diddley died of heart failure in 2008, at the age of 79. He had suffered a stroke tje previous spring and had a heart attack nine months before his death, from which he had never fully recovered.
June 3
In 1970, The Kinks' Ray Davies flies to England from America to re-record the words "cherry cola" in the song "Lola" after the BBC refuses to air the song with the original words, "Coca-Cola".
In 1991, to help pay off his $16 million tax bill, Willie Nelson releases an album of tunes seized by federal agents. The disc was called "Who'll Buy My Memories - The IRS Tapes".
June 4
Bruce Springsteen releases the album "Born In The USA" in 1984, and it will top the US LP chart for 7 weeks and spawn 7 Top-10 singles.
June 5
Alice Cooper lost one of his most famous stage props in 1977, when a rat being served as dinner to Cooper's boa constrictor, bit the snake and killed it. In a novel publicity stunt, Cooper held public auditions to replace the snake.
Ramones member Dee Dee Ramone was found dead in his Hollywood, California home in 2002. The 50 year-old Ramone was found unconscious by his wife Barbara at approximately 8:25 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene by fire department paramedics approximately 15 minutes later.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
DJ & Dance The Nightlife Professor: DJ MetroGnome
Posted by Alex Edgecombe on Sat, May 29, 2010 at 10:59 AM
Indy nightlife boasts the proud honor of being home to many talented, respected, and hard working DJs. One of our cities most well revered and in demand music maestros goes by the stage name of DJ MetroGnome and can be found playing weekly parties and dropping knowledge all over the city.
A graduate of Pike high school, MetroGnome (born Nick Saligoe) got his start in September of 2002 at Indiana University after having seen a friend scratch records. Teaching himself the art of mixing, scratching, and crowd control, he began doing events around Bloomington and Indy through Hip Hop Congress, a not for profit collective focused on making positive social and political progression on local and national levels.
Upon returning to Indy after obtaining a degree in Visual Art Education, Nick and the Indianapolis members of Hip Hop Congress secured a grant in 2007 to begin a community outreach program teaching DJing basics to interested kids around the city. The program was a wonderful success and is still in full effect nearly three years later. Held every Tuesday and Wednesday at the Martin Luther King Community Center, the program's participants range in age between elementary and high school aged children, as well as college kids and adults. A $5 fee simply covers the cost of equipment maintenance, hardly an unfair price to have the city’s original turntable teacher DJ Top Speed, as well as DJ Stylistic and MetroGnome himself as your instructors for the session. The DJ professors receive no wage, doing it simply for the love of the students and for the opportunity to help further the city’s rich DJ culture.
DJ MetroGnome can be found at Coaches Tavern (28 South Pennsylvania Street) every Tuesday for his wildly popular “Take That! Tuesdays” party. MetroGnome's selection ranges from classic hip hop, to soul, to funk records and turns the otherwise small bar in to a sea of dancing music fans. He also holds “A Film and Some Funk” at Art Box Gallery, an event that showcases a musically inspired documentary open to all ages, followed by a dance party with featured guest DJs (just for the adults though). Even still, MetroGnome plays regular parties for Red Bull throughout the United States, and is even slated to play in Cancun this coming summer. When asked what piece of advice he would give any one coming to his shows, he responded, “I’m not a pop DJ. I play records you may not know, but come with an open mind and I’m sure you’ll have fun.” If you're looking for a good party, MetroGnome's are a sure bet. You might even learn something.
For more information about DJ MetroGnome’s parties, check out his Myspace and his Twitter.
Rock / Roots First look at upcoming live Springsteen DVD
Posted by Rob Nichols on Sat, May 29, 2010 at 10:33 AM
Watch "Glory Days" - great loose performance of the Born in the USA classic. Bruce and Little Steven crack each other up as they rock and roll to a conclusion,
Watch "Out in the Street" - performed in the daylight, before the sun set on the London stage.
The DVD comes out June 22.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Punk & Metal Muzik Politik and Arizona...
Posted by Nick Selm on Fri, May 28, 2010 at 4:10 PM
Music and politics have always had a special relationship. This relationship is well known and has been widely discussed (especially leading up to the disappointing 2004 presidential elections), so I will try not to re-hash too much.
In late April, Arizona governor Jan Brewer, back by notorious tough-guy boarder-freak Sheriff Joe Arpaio, announced a new immigration enforcement law for the southwestern state. The law, which is more than merely reminiscent of antiquated and dismissed notions of lebensraum and übermensch, seeks to allow law enforcement agents to demand documentation from anyone. Considering the geographic positioning and ethnic make-up of Arizona, the law specifically targets the large Latino population of the state (a whopping 30%!).
The national reaction to the bill has been almost completely negative. Many groups have called for boycotts of anything Arizona. Even the Phoenix Suns showed their disapproval of the bill by sporting “Los Suns” jerseys during a Cinco de Mayo game during the playoffs. Pretty impressive for an industry that is always so cautious of any moves that could alienate any potential fans (aside from outrageous ticket prices).
- Rage Against The Machine: Angry about something
The most interesting boycott, however is being led by none other than Rage Against The Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha. Being of Mexican descent (this last name is pretty obvious), de la Rocha clearly has (yet another) reason to be angry. Joining him in his boycott are bands both obvious (Rise Against) and surprising (Tenacious D).
The boycotting musicians will cancel any previously booked shows in the embattled state. While names like Rage Against The Machine, Sonic Youth and Kanye West may seem huge, many artists are still struggling with hopping aboard with de la Rocha. Concert promoter extraordinaire Kevin Lyman, for instance, is still debating wether or not to cancel his high-profile Warped Tour, Rockstar Mayhem Festival and Country Throwdown shows in Arizona this Summer. Unless it’s a Nickelback or Toby Keith concert, most cancelled concerts would most likely only hurt Arizonians who never supported SB1070 in the first place.
So while the debate over the benefits of boycotts rolls on, it is important to think about the role of politics in music, especially punk rock. From the very beginning, punk rock artists like The Clash, Crass and Bad Brains have been intwined with the political climate of their surroundings. It would be cool to see bigger punk bands like Green Day or Against Me! put their money where their mouths are and join the boycott.
Comedy Weekend live comedy preview
Posted by Andrew Roberts on Fri, May 28, 2010 at 10:03 AM
- Local comic Jeff Oksay is featured this week, as the co-headliner at Crackers Broad Ripple
It is fitting that a local comedian gets the headlining slot at Crackers on the weekend Indianapolis is most famous for. Jeff Oskay will look to draw the hometown crowd as well as a couple of tourists to Crackers Broad Ripple this weekend, after appearing on the Bob & Tom show this morning.
As I said last week, Oskay is deserving of regional recognition; it's a great weekend to diversify your fun-portfolio and head up to Broad Ripple between 500 festivities. He is co-headlining with Christina Pazsitzky, who is a regular on "Chelsea Lately." But we won't hold that against her.
In an incredible effort to host the most headlining acts in a single show ever, Morty's is offering a spumoni-flavored show with FOUR featured acts (Jodi White, Michael McDaniel, Brad Lanning and Reno Hype). But it seems to me that if four comedians are "featured," none of them are; one or two more and I'm pretty sure that they'd be required by law to call it a comedy festival.
If you're going to be downtown on Friday night, or looking for some late-night action following Carb Day, head over to ComedySportz at 10pm for the second showing of their dirty long-form improv show "Oz: Unscripted." They will have their normal batch of family-safe improv for all other shows this weekend.
In Bloomington, Tig Notaro of the "Sarah Silverman Program" will headline at The Funny Bone.
Weekend Lineup:
Price listed is the lowest available, and all shows are Friday and Saturday, unless otherwise noted. Most also have Weds, Thurs., and Sunday shows; check their website for more info.
Crackers Downtown- Scott Long, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Crackers Broadripple- Jeff Oskay w/ Christina Pazsitzky, 8 and 10:30 pm, $15. www.crackerscomedy.com
Morty’s Comedy Joint- Stand-up Comedy, 8 and 10:15 pm, $20. www.mortyscomedy.com
ComedySportz- Improv, 7:30 pm, (and 10:00 on Sat.), $15, www.indycomedysportz.com
Comedysportz- Oz: Unscripted, 10:00 pm. Friday only. www.indycomedysportz.com
The Funny Bone (Bloomington) — Tig Notaro, 8 and 10:30 pm, $12. www.funnybonebtown.com
More than most forms of entertainment, stand-up comedy lineups are subject to last-minute changes, as well as unexpected sell-outs. Please be sure to check the website of the venue (or call and reserve tickets) before heading out, and make sure to be aware of any updated times, prices, availability or performers.
If you are aware of any upcoming events or venues that are not included here, please feel free to comment them below or email aroberts@nuvo.net!
- Tig Notaro is headlining at the Funny Bone in Bloomington
- Scott Long takes the stage at Crackers Downtown
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Rock / Roots Backstage at Letterman: Guitarist Jason Wilber's night recounted
Posted by Rob Nichols on Thu, May 27, 2010 at 10:48 PM
FROM HIS BLOG:
"A few minutes before we were on, we took the elevator down to the stage level and waited at the side of the stage. Don Rickles was the guest on right before us and I shook hands with him as he was coming off stage. He was very nice and said “Good luck Kid, see ya on TV”.
AND
"So picture this: Suddenly, instead of looking into a TV and watching the Late Show with David Letterman at his desk and Paul Schaffer and the band over across the stage, you’re standing there IN the show looking out at the audience from the stage with Dave and Paul on either side of you and that classic skyline backdrop just behind you. Instead of hearing Dave’s voice through a TV speaker, it’s coming from just a few feet away, unamplified."
That's good stuff, isnt it? Read more about the whole night at jasonwilber.wordpress.com. Performing with Prine and Wilber was Yim Yames from Louisville's My Morning Jacket, supplying keening, Neil Young-inspired vocals to a couple verses and a chorus of "All the Best".
WATCH HERE
Late Night with David Letterman w/ John Prine from 5.26.10
Rock / Roots Roots/Rock Music Notes: Jeff Byrd, Gamblin' Christmas, Hank III
Posted by Rob Nichols on Thu, May 27, 2010 at 12:50 AM
+ Indianapolis roots-rock guy Jeff Byrd has formed a new band, and we should start to hear some music from them soon. Fans of the Gear Daddies and BoDeans will like what he's putting together. Byrd's most recent release was in 2008, an album called Stereoville.
"Late Night Brunettes and Cigarettes" - Jeff Byrd / from Stereoville
- Gamblin' Christmas
+ Watch for two good shows June 4 (next Friday): alt-country darlin' Elizabeth Cook at Spencer's Stadium Tavern and former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit rock at Radio Radio. More on both shows early next week.
+ Hank Williams III's new album "Rebel Within" is out. It's the final record for Curb Records, and the rocky relationship will end.
In an interview with Outlaw Radio Chicago, he said “It’s got the slow ones, it’s got the fast ones, and a little attitude. Hopefully they’ll see that I gave them a good record. I could have gave them nothing but static and noise and been like ‘Ah, here ya go, it’s been nice knowing you.’ But I gave them a good record man.”
Here's to Hank III heading toward the independent route, able to release what he wants - something he has said Curb wasn't letting him do.
The title cut, from a festival late last summer:
And here's Hank III tearing up " If You Don't Like Hank WIlliams..."
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Punk & Metal The Time Machine
Posted by Nick Selm on Wed, May 26, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Just recently, I finished reading H.G. Wells’ science fiction masterpiece The Time Machine. While the story focused on the problems that humankind faces in the distant future, it made me think a lot about the past.
It is so easy to look back to the past with such admiration and look at the present with such disdain. People toss around the phrase “The Good Old Days” quite a bit in reference to a so-called “better time”. But what few people realize is that the only truly good day is, in fact, today.
Some in the punk and hardcore scene seem to be fixated on the ancient history of Indianapolis’ punk past. They fail to realize that there is no time travel technology to take them back to 1980. The Zero Boys were a great, influential band. They, along with The Gizmos, were Indiana’s only link to the “glory” days of punk-rock.
- Back in the day: The Zero Boys
But that was then. Even though The Zero Boys have reunited and still play every now and then, the fact remains that their period of importance ended when they broke up for the first time...in 1986. Also, a dispute over payment between the (reunited) Zero Boys and Dude Fest promoter Derek Black showed just how far removed The Zero Boys are from the current music scene.
What those bands did in their day was great, but there’s no honor in resting on laurels. The scene is what we have right now. It is Dude Fest and The Dojo and The Sorely Trying Days and Vital Error and basement shows. If you don’t like the bands, then start your own. If you don’t like the venues, then open up your house for shows. If there’s something that you don’t like, do something about it. Don’t just complain about how good the past was, because that will get us nowhere. Kudos to everyone who is doing something for the scene right now (yes, even The Piradical kids) and here’s to hoping that you keep doing it. And for all you old farts who are dwelling on the past, have fun waiting for that time machine...
- Morlocks and Eloi: they didn't even remember who the Zero Boys were.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hip-Hop Salinger-inspired Audio Recon comp
Posted by Scott Shoger on Tue, May 25, 2010 at 2:48 PM
Also released today: an 18-track independent hip-hop collection, "The Courage To Be An Absolute Nobody (An Ode to J.D. Salinger)," compiled by local digital label and distribution outfit Audio Recon. Absolutely free as a stream on Band Camp (and posted here), with a name-your-price option to download in just about any format you fancy. Featuring the talents of a bunch of dudes in the Audio Recon stable (s.a.i.n.t. Recon, Whois Louis, e. Brown, Yeti One) as well as some folks from farther afield (Los Angeles emcees Naila and 2mex, for instance).
